Workin' On It
by El Reino
Summary: The way back into each other's hearts is slow and excruciating. But sometimes, Katniss can't stand small steps. Patience was never her forte. Katniss & Peeta attempting to put the pieces back together after he plants those primroses. All comments welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: The way back into each other's hearts is slow and excruciating. But sometimes, Katniss can't stand small steps. Patience was never her forte. Katniss & Peeta after he plants those primroses.

Short one-shot. Unedited so I apologize for any mistakes.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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><p>She's bringing him stew and has to bite her lip against the irony of it all. She's never brought him food before. That was <em>his<em> job, when he brought her bread and cakes before everything fell apart.

Before he was hijacked.

It's taken Katniss a long time to swallow her pride. She's come to realize that it was probably _painfully_ easy for them to hijack Peeta. Despite his deep love and despite the fact that he's a fighter through and through, Peeta's still human. Katniss' heart hurts every time she realizes that her resistance to accepting his love was probably very frustrating.

That was what the tracker jacker venom latched onto in the end. His resentment. She has no proof of this, of course. How does a doctor prod into the deepest recesses of a person's soul? But she knows Peeta extremely well by now.

She blames herself that she doesn't know him like the back of her hand. That she doesn't know him like he used to now her.

So here Katniss is, standing in front of his door. Greasy Sae's stew sits like an imperfect offering in her shaking hands. If this relationship is going to work, she's going to have to show him that she means it.

That she really loves him.

That she realizes it was unfair of her to make him please her without anything in return.

That's she's going to give everything up, including her precious pride, to make him realize that this is _real._

He opens up the door after a long moment. The temperature is freezing but Katniss' stomach is heated from nerves. Peeta's cool eyes take in his visitor, lingering on the pot in confusion.

Katniss misses the days when his eyes would become soft whenever they landed on her. But that's unfair and one of those selfish things she'll have to give up. So she simply pushes the pot through the chasm between them.

"I thought since… since…" Words fail her and she has to start over. "Greasy Sae made this and I thought you might like some." That was better even if it all came out in a rush.

He regards her with some confusion. Katniss wants to stroke his face. Wants to hug him. Wants to apologize.

It's not about what _she _wants anymore. It's about what he _needs_.

So when he asks, "You've never brought me food before, real or not real?" Katniss forces out an honest answer instead of becoming indignant.

"Real. I've never brought you anything before."

Peeta regards her for a few more moments. He then gives her a look that tells her he appreciates her honesty. Katniss feels like her knees will give out in relief.

They both seem to realize they are staring at the same time. Peeta graciously accepts the pot and thanks both Greasy Sae and Katniss. Katniss almost wishes she could cook so she would be the only one he thanks. She wonders if this kind of jealousy is still too self-centered or if she's just being too harsh on herself.

In return, Katniss simply shrugs. She's still not the best communicator. But they both can see that's she's trying. Katniss has always been an "actions speak louder than words" kind of girl, and the simple act of bringing Peeta dinner speaks volumes.

They both stand there awkwardly until Katniss spits out a curt "bye" and quickly strides away. She wonders if it's alright to be crushed over the fact he didn't invite her in. She also wonders when she made it a habit of crying.

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><p>I hope this isn't too OOC, but I've always wanted to see some fics where Katniss and Peeta deal with making their relationship into something more after he got hijacked. I may extend this fic if you want more, but until then, this is just a one-shot.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I didn't think I'd be updating this soon. But you guys were so awesome with your support and kind words, I thought 'why quit when I'm ahead?' Haha. Before I go on, I want to sincerely thank: LovePeeta, alli-mart (love the name btw), Amara Kingley, Shannon, Sanya, sw777 and awal0202 for reviewing. And many internet cookies (the good kind) go to those wonderful people who Favorited this and/or put this on their alert. You guys are fantastic and I'll respond to all your reviews ASAP.

I hope you enjoy!

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><p>Katniss has decided that she will not let the primroses die under any circumstances. Maybe, if she had discovered gardening before, it could have been her talent.<p>

But she has no need for a talent and the act of gardening would have been ruined if she knew she was doing it for the Capitol.

One thing she does have to say is that she's not doing half-bad. Of course, Peeta comes out and tends to them too. He gardens when he knows Katniss is not going to be there. (She only found this out by a purposeful slip of Haymitch's tongue.) So begrudgingly, Katniss has tried not to interfere or barge outside to _make_ Peeta garden with her.

They've gotten a rhythm of avoidance now. He weeds and waters them in the morning. Katniss trims them in the afternoon and checks for bugs. Her mother has assured Katniss over the phone that spraying water with a light helping of soap over the plants will help the problem.

Today though, Katniss is doing something much more involved. She's spent the past hour taping large plastic bags over the plants to keep out the recent chill that has descended on the former District 12. Apparently, although he meant well, Peeta has planted them too late in the season.

Katniss steps back to admire her work. She's so caught up in her simulated greenhouse and plans to buy glass and concrete that she doesn't hear Peeta until he's right behind her.

"You're humming." He states.

She jumps. All her thoughts of expanding their garden quickly dissipate into thin air.

"What?" She asks around her suddenly swollen tongue. They haven't even seen each other in more than a week. She focuses on a spot of grass intently so she doesn't look behind her and scare him off.

"You're humming." He states again. It was as if he said "the sky is blue." Or "you treated me like crap, Katniss."

Katniss listens to herself carefully and racks her memory of the past few minutes. It's useless. As soon as he appeared, Katniss has been unable to even _think_. She's never able to think around him. Then the wind shifts and brings his scent to her nostrils. He smells faintly of flour and that strange masculine odor that always seemed to label him "Peeta" in her mind.

Now Katniss can't even _breathe_. It's his fault. He's made her unable to think or breathe and sometimes her knees even become weak when she daydreams of the looks he used to give her. She's finally admitted that she cannot function without him, and he won't even look her in the eyes anymore.

"I didn't realize." Katniss offers weakly.

He shifts behind her before speaking again. "Can you sing for me?"

"Uh…" It's like Katniss' brain is wading through molasses. Or mud. Or blood. It holds on to her clothes, her limbs, until the fact that she's stuck is all she can fathom.

His request finally resonates in her mind and Katniss doesn't even have to roll it over in her brain. She's decided long ago that she cannot deny him anything anymore. Not after all he did for her. It wouldn't be right.

"Okay." She says quickly before he leaves and leaves her longing and broken again. "Okay."

She takes a deep breath. The first few words come out off key and grating. But something happens when she sings. Her chest becomes lighter, like all the oppressive carbon dioxide she's swallowed is being exorcised in the best way possible. It's like she's finally able to express herself.

It sounds stupid in Katniss' mind. But Old Peeta would have said it was a beautiful thought. He used to think she was capable of goodness no matter what. New Peeta knows that Katniss is seriously emotionally crippled.

So Katniss sings. She sings for her dad, for Prim, for Finnick, Annie and their baby. She sings for Cinna. Mostly she sings for Peeta as a way of apologizing. She'll never be able to pay him back for all that he did for her.

Her voice falters at the end. If this is what he felt about her…well, then she's so sorry she put him through Hell.

It's Hell having him hate her. It's Hell knowing it's hard for him to _like_ much less _love_ her. It must have been Hell for him too.

"You only sung for those… _promos_ and for Rue. Real or not real?"

Katniss doesn't want to answer. "Real."

"Why didn't you ever sing for me?" Peeta snarls after the silence has become too much to bear. "Why did you ever _stop_ singing? You had so much potential."

She turns, afraid he's going to lunge at her again. He's mostly conquered his urge to kill. But nothing is certain with his shiny memories.

One thing that is certain is that Katniss wishes she never looked at his eyes. His wonderful eyes, which used to be so filled with tenderness, are now hard and cold. They're like ice-chips on her skin. His face is so contorted by hate, he's almost unrecognizable.

Her mouth opens but no sound comes out. She has no excuse. She was always so selfish. So self-centered.

Her father's face flashes into her mind. His death used to always be her excuse for being so cold. Then another sickening thought hit her. She never even thought how he might feel about the death of his parents. He lost his family too, including his brothers. They might not have liked him too much, but Peeta did love them. Katniss hadn't even _cared_.

All she cared about was how much she wanted Peeta to love her again. She was too busy grieving over him to realize he was grieving too.

"I have a lot to change," she whispers so softly, she can barely hear herself.

Peeta snarls then stomps away. Haymitch, who has come just in case they needed a referee, barely avoids a collision with the angry teen.

"What did you do to Lover Boy?" He asks once.

Katniss looks over at Haymitch wearily. The man has a bottle of unopened white liquor clutched in a bony hand. The man hardly drinks as much as he used to. But he still reeks of alcohol even from where Katniss is standing and Haymitch still drinks enough to put a decent alcoholic to shame.

"Lover Boy" doesn't even mean the same thing anymore. Before, it used to be a way for Haymitch to get in his daily quota of teasing people. Now it was a way for him to remind Katniss about what happened to Peeta. He uses it to remind her why the hijacked boy doesn't act so loving anymore without being vulgar.

Katniss refuses to crumple into a ball like she does at home when the grief is too much to bear. Instead, she pretends to adjust the duct tape holding the bags to the plant.

"What _haven't _I done to him?" She finally asks in despair.

There is a long pause. Finally, she feels Haymitch's heavy arm briefly rest on her shoulders. It ends before it even begins and afterwards, the older man stumbles home. He uses being drunk as an excuse for his moment of comfort.

Katniss appreciates it. She'd never admit that she needs someone else to console her once in a while. Not even now.

She does clean his house as a way of saying thanks. She regrets it after she comes home reeking of the drink and her own body odor.

But she's trying to be nice and compassionate. Hopefully, Peeta will see that one day. Hopefully…

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><p>Anonymous Reviews:<p>

Shannon: I feel the same way and I've been trying to justice to Peeta and Katniss. I'm glad you liked it and thought I have done so. Thank you so much for your review and encouragement!

Sanya: Thank you so much! I'll try not to. :D


	3. Chapter 3

Well, here's another one. I tried to fill some plot holes that a wonderful reviewer pointed out. I hope it works.

If I didn't reply to your review, I am so, so sorry. If you feel like reviewing this time, I will definitely try to get back to you this time. Big thanks goes out to sw777, Sanya, kitkatkrunch, Danny'sGirlSG1, Amara Kingley, Clare, alli-mart, Howlynn, sparksfly16 and Howl3 for reviewing. If I had the time, I would add the name of all of the wonderful people who added this to their alerts and favorites. But this is kind of a rushed posting, so maybe next time.

Enjoy!

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><p>Katniss goes hunting for Greasy Sae's birthday. She's never cared about anybody's birthday before except for Prim's and sometimes maybe even their mother. But only because Prim made Katniss <em>care.<em>

Now Katniss is making herself care. It's hard going, but her mother is all too willing to help out. They talk more, Katniss and her mother. Mrs. Everdeen is doing fantastic being a healer and has way more things to talk about than defunct Katniss. Sometimes though, the former awkwardness creeps in. A lot of the time there is silence where there used to be a comment by Prim.

Sometimes talking to her mother makes Katniss miss Prim more. But she knows it's the same for her mother. Truth is; they both need each other now. More than ever. They're also trying to make it work… in memory of both of their losses.

Katniss even begins to understand what her mother must have gone through when her dad died. If their roles had been reversed and it was Peeta in that mine… It hurts to think about it. So Katniss only thinks on it when she's trying to forgive her mother. It's taking a long time, but its working. No one ever said forgiveness was a cake-walk and if someone ever did, Katniss wouldn't hesitate to punch their teeth out.

Hunting is an excellent way to get rid of tension, Katniss remembers. By the time she gets home, she's sweaty and is tracking mud in the house. It doesn't matter, though. It's her house and cleaning only gives her something to do when the boredom becomes too gripping.

Greasy Sae is in the kitchen cutting up some apples.

"What have you got there?" The older woman asks and Katniss cannot hide her smile.

A burlap bag acts like wrapping paper for the gift. Katniss thrusts it to Greasy Sae happily along with a bag of soft candies and a little bouquet of wildflowers for good measure. The teen has never really tried to give out presents before, so it might have been a little lacking. But Katniss seems very proud of her gift and Greasy Sae chooses to hold back an acerbic-but good natured-comment.

"Happy birthday."

The older woman gingerly takes the bag and peers in the hole suspiciously. What she sees makes her through back her head and laugh heartily.

"You don't know how hard it was to find one now that I was actually looking for it." Katniss tries to wipe some mud off her face to hide a grin.

It's wild dog. They're not in need of meat anymore, certainly not _that_. Gone are the days of starvation and gnawing on bones.

But it's a blast from the past and Greasy Sae's enjoying every minute of it.

It was Katniss that pursued her relationship with Haymitch. She was angry for a while that he never came to visit. _Really_ angry.

She's realized so many things about herself and her relationships, it almost hurts. Her relationship with Haymitch is not exempt from this.

She came to realize how much she needed him too.

He's her friend, no matter how much they fight or how snarky they are to each other. He's probably one of the only people left who understand her. Better yet, he's one of the only people who will tolerate her.

He offers support in his weird, disjointed way. His anger is really a kindness. For if he wasn't around to be gruff, there would be no one around Katniss at all.

Two days after Peeta planted those blasted but sacred primroses, Katniss sneaks into Haymitch's house. Maybe it's a sign of how strange both of their sensibilities are, but Katniss thinks knocking would be weird. And awkward.

He's not in the kitchen which is strange to think about. She's only ever seen him in the kitchen. He seems to be attached to that table. He slept in his_ bed,_ not on the _table_?

The house reeks. It's disgusting so Katniss covers her mouth and nose with a sleeve. Luckily, she is prepared for him to be passed out or gone. She leaves her note with a gift of some food covered with a cloth.

Food seems to be her bargaining tool these days. It's her way of apologizing and it seems to work.

Haymitch shows up at her house three hours later; the note in his hand and stone cold drunk. He leans so heavily on the doorframe that it creaks with his weight.

"Didn't think you the note-leaving kind."

Katniss is starting to regret ever believing that she needed Haymitch. She sighs. "Go home, Haymitch. I don't want to deal with you drunk."

"Nah." Even the one syllable is slurred beyond comprehension. "I'ma-I'ma… stay."

"Go home." Her voice is cutting and it seems to wake him from his stupor.

"Fine!" He spits. He shuffles around, too inebriated to move any faster. He stops. "Thanks for… for…"

"For the food?" Katniss offers.

"Yeah." He waits until his mind returns then leaves.

With those few words, their dysfunctional relationship grows stronger. They start by exchanging greetings when they happen to run into each other. Eventually -with Greasy Sae's permission, of course- Katniss invites Haymitch over for dinner. He comes once or twice a month. Then, he starts coming more because he's so starved and the calories in the alcohol are just not cutting it for him.

Dinners are quiet. Peeta and Greasy Sae talk sometimes. Haymitch and Katniss growl at each other once in a while when the silence drives them mad. Haymitch even manages to snarl his thanks to Greasy Sae after a particularly satisfying meal.

Katniss still gets mad at Haymitch. She resents how he is her "mentor" again. She resents that the people now in charge saw fit to even give her a mentor. It's like a slap in the face. She resents that they treat her like she's damaged.

She_ is_ damaged. That's what stops her from being too bitter. She's damaged and she craves human contact so much she's willing to put up with Haymitch.

One thing she will not stand is Peeta eating at her dinner table. He's very cordial to everyone. Free and delicious bread is always somewhere in his vicinity. He's the best of table guests and his manners are impeccable.

But he refuses to talk to Katniss. He doesn't even look her in the eye. If Katniss had to guess, she would say that he's as starved for humans as much as she is. He wants the company of live humans to relieve the oppressive presence of the dead ones. Or, Greasy Sae is forcing him to come.

Either way, it drives Katniss insane. He's so close, but no matter how much Katniss stares or tries to include him in her halting conversation, he never budges. He never gives in. He will ignore her to the end of time. Peeta is determined not to give into Katniss anymore.

Maybe he comes because he likes to rub Katniss' impatience in her face. This could be his revenge. Or it could all be a test. He could be seeing if she's really changed before he pursues anything with her again.

The hope burns her heart almost as badly as the despair does. So she stops trying to push him and instead returns to trading barbs with Haymitch and thanking Greasy Sae. Most of the time, there's just silence.

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><p>Review Reply to Anonymous Reviews:<p>

Sanya: Thank you for the review. :)

Clare: It made perfect sense, and it was very nice of you to say so. I am aiming to get that "happy medium" with them if you will. I too, have read some fanfiction (not saying it was bad or anything of the sort, some of it was very good) that does consist of the characters acting very extreme. In some situations it does work. But I think that in this situation Katniss and Peeta would never get together, and if they did, it would be a very flawed relationship. So I am very grateful for your wonderful comment and I hope my writing continues to satisfy you in the future.


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